Whole Lotta MilkaAl’s Diner

Al’s Diner is the sophomore release by Whole Lotta Milka on Montreal’s Stomp Records, three long years since the Winnipeg band’s first effort, Got Milka? It was well worth the wait. One of the most noticeable things about Al’s Diner is that the production is much better: the mixing is superior; the sound is much clearer and even the packaging of the CD is better than it was on the first album. The song “Jackson Brown (Hardly Enough),” which appeared on the All Skanadian III, is also a track on Al’s Diner, reworked and better than ever. I first saw Whole Lotta Milka live shortly after the release of Got Milka, and was impressed by a very angry song with a chant-along chorus — it’s the title track on Milka’s new CD and certainly one of their best. “Good Time Charlie” sounds suspiciously like the Planet Smashers, “Diggin’ Up The Hatchet” gives a nod to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, “Intense” includes a blatant lyrical theft from “Why?” by the Specials and “Make No Mistake” is most certainly Goldfinger-esque.
(Stomp)